


Increasing Levels of Support

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Cosmo - Freeform, Coulson needs Skye talking to him all the time, Donuts, Embarrassed Coulson, F/M, Flirting, Gen, Humor, Hydra, Pranking, Sillyfic, Simmons in the background, Skye giving increasing levels of support, dentist office trope, skoulsonfest2k14
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-30
Packaged: 2018-02-15 08:42:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2222718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Skoulsonfest August 31st: Increasing Levels of Support.</p><p>Ficlet. Skye is in Coulson's ear as he goes undercover to bust a HYDRA operative posing as a dentist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Increasing Levels of Support

"What's the difference, really?" he asked.

"You're attempting humor, right?" said Skye in his ear.

"What do _you_ think?" he sighed looking around the near-empty waiting room.

"Well, when you make a joke about the dentist's being as bad as HYDRA..."

"This dentist might very well be HYDRA, Skye," he said. "So, it's an appropriate use of humor."

He turned the page of the magazine, shook his head.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"Who's to say I'm reading," he replied.

"I _heard_ the pages turn."

" _Uh_...Popular Mechanics?"

"Did you say it like that so I would _know_ you're lying?" she asked.

He didn't reply and turned another page. Quietly.

"It's Cosmo, isn't it?"

"I can neither confirm or deny," he said.

"So, _yes_."

Peering around the corner, he looked to see if the receptionist had returned. The window was still empty.

"You did schedule me an appointment, right?"

"Maybe they can hear you having a conversation with yourself and called 911?"

"They're not monitoring. I did a sweep when I arrived. Oh ye of little faith."

"Now that I think of it, when _was_ your last dentist appointment? We don't have a dental plan yet."

"Mind your business. Let Simmons mind hers."

Coulson uncrossed his legs, stood and walked to the service window.

He leaned forward and turned his head inside it.

"Have a couple of new leads for you. Welcome Wagon stuff."

" _Hello_ ," he said, voice raised, then looked down at his watch.

The springs in the chair groaned when he flopped back down in the seat.

"You don't like to be kept waiting, do you?"

The interior door opened and Coulson stood up in anticipation, ready to set this thing in motion.

The hygenist standing in front of him eyed him briefly.

"Sorry, we're behind schedule. Might be another 10 minutes."

Coulson raised his eyebrows at the woman.

"You wanna reschedule?"

"No," Coulson replied quickly, sat back down.

The door closed again.

"Wow. A whole 10 minutes. What are you going to do with that much free time?"

"According to Cosmo," he said tersely, "I can 'Do Ten in Under 10'."

There was a long pause. Coulson was definitely starting to regret losing his cool.

"Ten whats, exactly?"

"Jotting down a 'Pleasure List' is right here at Number 7."

"Oh, _sex_."

He could tell she was smiling about it.

"What else would it be about?" he asked with irritation.

"Weight loss? 'How to Be Less Bitchy'? Obviously you've never read this trash."

"Only when I go to the dentist," he admitted, then winced, regretting it immediately.

"A creature of habit, I see," she said, teasing, starting to laugh. "Hey, did you ever read the one about using the donut to..."

" _Skye!_ "

He took the com out of his ear and stuffed it in his pocket.

****

"HYDRA Agent _and_ dentist. Nexus of evil destroyed," Skye said, impressed.

He set his jaw and stared at her.

"Thanks for the assist on the layout of the floorplan," he conceded.

"Just doing my best to provide _increasing levels of support_."

He gave her a skeptical glare.

Simmons eyes went from Skye to Coulson, glancing him over while Skye updated the file.

"Guessing he wasn't the Tooth Fairy," Skye continued, staring down at the screen.

"No, they were using the gas to genetically modify selected patients."

" _That's horrible_ ," Simmons chimed in.

"Did we save anyone?" Skye asked, hopeful.

"Yeah, there were a few people, they're going to be moved to...rehabilitation facilities."

"Good," she said, nodding. "That's good."

"Hey, one down," he said, putting his hand on her arm.

Simmons smiled at him approvingly and walked away to finish completing her post-field assessment.

Skye gave him a sad smile and said, "And the rest in our sights."

"That's right."

"Sorry for making you have to turn off the coms," she said. "That was really unprofessional of me."

"You're worried about that?" he asked, hopping down from the table when Simmons gave him the thumbs up.

"I just should know better than to cross that sort of line with you, sir."

Coulson stared back at her when he saw Simmons, frozen, eyeing them from the corner of her vision.

"Don't think anything of it, Skye. It was fine. Kept me on my toes."

He gave her a brief smile.

"If you say so, sir," she shrugged.

"I just want you to know that providing you with _increasing levels of support_ is very important to me."

  
****

Coulson walked into his office loosening his tie.

Having Skye in his ear was becoming more than a guilty pleasure.

It was habit-forming.

 _Increasing levels of support_ , indeed.

Communication between them was so simple, it was like she could finish his thoughts most days.

And they did spend an enormous amount of time together.

Just a natural progression.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a partner instead of being someone's S.O.

Eyes catching the update log, he stopped to scan his desktop.

Miles long.

Or, at least, it felt that way.

Projects. Ops.

He did better with those than To Do Lists and Rec Orders.

Might as well get started.

Skye would probably be by later to give him a hard time about how little progress had been made.

He went to sit and heard the crunch below him.

Standing up, he turned and looked down at the chair.

The box sitting there, leering up at him.

Opening the crushed top, he saw the neat row of donuts in front of him.

Some even had colorful sprinkles.

Skye.

Picking one up, he eyed it.

Somewhere he knew Skye and Simmons were laughing.

He took a bite.

" _Mmm_."

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
